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We believe that a responsible approach to business is a key factor determining our long-term success. We have a broad understanding of our duties as a financial services provider, member of society and employer. Our approach also reflects our commitment to protecting the environment.

Our Approach

As well as complying with the professional standards and ethical values set out in our Code of Conduct, we strive to assume our corporate responsibilities in every aspect of our work.

The following key figures reflect of our diverse activities in the area of corporate responsibility in 2017:

Banking

Our greatest responsibility as a globally active financial services company is ensuring that we manage our company successfully, to the benefit of our clients, shareholders and employees as well as society as a whole.

Economy & Society

As a global bank, we see ourselves as an integral part of the economy and society. Through our role as a financial intermediary, we support entrepreneurship and economic growth, and we make an economic contribution as an employer, taxpayer and contractual partner. We also support various humanitarian and charitable organizations and projects as well as cultural and sporting events.

Focus Themes

Employer

Our long-term success depends on our ability to inspire trust and achieve client satisfaction. It is therefore essential for Credit Suisse to attract, develop and retain qualified, responsible and motivated employees who can help us achieve these goals. We offer interesting lines of work, progressive employment conditions and wide-ranging training and development opportunities.

Environment

We take environmental impacts into account when conducting our business by developing sustainable products and services and addressing sustainability issues when managing risks. The implementation of various operational measures enables us to improve our environmental performance.

Corporate responsibility provides the foundation for all our activities. The slide show gives an overview of Credit Suisse’s responsibilities in banking, towards society, the environment, towards employees and a number of stakeholders.

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Swiss Home Market

We serve around 100,000 corporate clients in our Swiss home market. At the end of 2017, we had around CHF 158 billion loans outstanding in Switzerland, including mortgages and loans to businesses, the public sector and private clients.

Impact Investing

For more than 15 years, we have formed solid partnerships in this field and have jointly developed innovative ways of actively placing capital in enterprises that generate a financial return and make a measurable, positive impact on society and/or the environment. To further facilitate projects and initiatives that have a positive economic and social impact, we established the Impact Advisory and Finance Department (IAF) in 2017.

Investing in Young Talent

We assign a high level of importance to the promotion of young talent. In our Swiss home market, we offer a range of apprenticeships and programs for high school and university graduates who wish to embark on a career in finance. In 2017, around 1,138 young people in education benefited from a structured training program.

Support for Employees Who Hold a Political Office

To support the Swiss "militia" system of politics, Credit Suisse offers working time arrangements to employees who hold a political office alongside their role at the bank. In this way, we make an important social contribution in our home market.

Quality of Client Advice

Our relationship managers complete mandatory certification programs to ensure they can provide clients with clear and comprehensive information about our products and explain potential investment risks and returns. Since 2017, our front-facing employees have been required to complete the Swiss Association for Quality (SAQ) certification. To date, around 1,900 Credit Suisse employees have obtained SAQ certification.

Global Education Initiative

As part of our Global Education Initiative, we support selected partner organizations to provide thousands of children and young people around the world with access to education and to improve the quality of educational opportunities available to them. Since 2014, a total of 94,246 adolescent girls have benefited from financial education and life skills classes.

Providing Risk Capital for Growth and Innovation

SMEs form the backbone of the Swiss economy. We are committed to providing these businesses with easier access to capital and therefore established SVC – Ltd. for Risk Capital for SMEs in 2010. By the end of 2017, SVC Ltd. had invested a total of CHF 108 million in 44 Swiss firms, thus helping to create or preserve jobs in order to sustainably strengthen our home market.

Support for Young Artists

Credit Suisse lends its support to young artists from around the world. We cultivate musical talent by awarding the Credit Suisse Young Artist Award and the Prix Credit Suisse Jeunes Solistes. In addition to receiving prize money, the winners have the opportunity to perform together with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival in summer.

Promoting Young Talent in Swiss Football

We are also committed to promoting young talent and to creating a sound basis for the success of Swiss football. As the main sponsor of the Swiss Football Association, we have supported all of Switzerland’s junior and senior national teams.

Major Employer in Switzerland

In Switzerland, we employ 16,490 people, making us one of the country’s largest employers. We want to be an employer of choice and to attract and retain highly qualified and committed employees who can deliver the best possible service to our clients. We therefore offer progressive working conditions, attractive development opportunities and varied career prospects.

Barrier-Free Banking

To make our products and services accessible to people with disabilities, we operate around 500 talking ATMs as well as over 70 ATMs that are specially positioned for wheelchair users. Our entire website and online banking platform have been designed to provide barrier-free access to our offerings. Credit Suisse also supplies clients with bank statements in braille or large print upon request.

Partnering with the Roger Federer Foundation

As part of the sponsoring partnership between Credit Suisse and Roger Federer established in 2009, the bank contributes one million US dollars each year to the Roger Federer Foundation (RFF). These funds are primarily invested in an early childhood education initiative in Malawi, which has thus far helped 150,000 children get access to quality preschooling.

Due Diligence, Risk Management and Sustainability

We expect all our employees to meet the highest standards of conduct and professionalism and to comply with applicable laws and regulations, due diligence requirements and industry guidelines. In the case of business transactions with clients from sensitive industries, we have introduced policies and guidelines that set out the environmental and social standards we expect these clients to observe.

Committed to the Next Generation

We recognize the role that young people play in shaping our future society, culture and economy and believe it is important to engage in a dialogue with this generation. In 2010, we therefore launched our online Youth Barometer survey of people aged between 16 and 25 in Switzerland, the US, Brazil and Singapore to assess their views on a variety of issues.

Financing Renewable Energy Sources

Our Investment Banking & Capital Markets division and our Global Markets division serve clients through a range of products and services, including advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and spin-offs as well as debt and equity underwriting of public offerings and private placements.

Financial Inclusion Initiative

Through the Financial Inclusion Initiative (formerly the Microfinance Capacity Building Initiative), Credit Suisse provides financial and technical support to microfinance institutions. Launched in 2008, the initiative aims to strengthen the microfinance industry and to support the employees of microfinance institutions through the transfer of skills.

Dialogue with our Stakeholders

Our long-term success as a bank depends on our ability to inspire trust in all our stakeholders. We strive to achieve this by engaging in a dialogue and communicating as transparently as possible. By regularly exchanging our views with clients, shareholders, regulators and other stakeholders, we can identify their expectations, offer our own perspective and develop joint solutions to current challenges.

Client Foundations

Our Accentus, Empiris and Symphasis foundations in Switzerland and SymAsia in Singapore enable our clients to support charitable causes. Since they were established, these foundations have assisted over 2,600 charitable initiatives in Switzerland and abroad.

Climate Protection Measures

We are actively committed to protecting the climate, as demonstrated by our strategy to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We reached an important milestone in 2006 when we became the first major company in Switzerland to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality. We have been greenhouse gas neutral for all our locations worldwide since 2010.

Check Your Chance is an association launched by the bank and the SVC Foundation for Entrepreneurship and six non-profit organizations in 2015 to continue the successful work of Credit Suisse's Youth Unemployment Initiative in cooperation with partner organizations.

Contributions to the Public Debate

By contributing our expertise to the public debate, we support the formation of public opinion and help to find solutions to current problems. Our various publications, analyses and specialist articles on economic, political and social issues serve as a point of reference for clients and investors when making decisions and also attract the interest of politicians, business representatives and the media.

Employee Engagement for Charitable Causes

All employees have the opportunity to dedicate up to four working days per year on full pay to assist with charitable projects. In 2017, our employees around the world dedicated 65,700 hours to skills-based volunteering.